Allen Alumni Magazine - Fall 2022, Issue 1

allenalumni

Endowment Board

Leanne Trabuc | Nikki Peters | Angel Kaufman | Brett Lisher | Karen Emerson | Blake Mueller

| Kim Ensminger | Kay Lewis | Hannah Brown | Rebecca Nilges

| Mark Larson | Kristin Ballard | Jessica McGinnis| Kylee Geffert

Ex Officio

Bruce Moses, President

Roberta Nickell, Vice President of Finance & Operations

Endowment Staff

Lauren Maisberger

Director of Development

620-901-6218 | maisberger@ allencc.edu

Alison Fees Administrative Assistant 620-901-6270 | fees@allencc.

edu Allen Alumni Newsletter is published twice a year and maintains the copy right of the materials contained with in these pages. All rights are reserved. Send feedback, updates or questions to Allen Community College 1801 N Cottonwood St, Iola, KS 66749. Or by emailing maisberger@allencc.edu or calling 620-901-6218.

Letter from the President

In this first year as the new Presi dent of Allen, I had big shoes to fill. But, I am poised to build on the great success that was laid before me.

We have already begun to take those next steps. We are working to build our career and technical education programs in both of our locations. Establishing busi ness and industry relationships within our community to help assist with workforce development needs they have.

With the turbluent environment that we faced over the last couple of years, com pared with fall 2020, enrollment was slightly down 7%. However, this year we have over 33% of the enrollment being first year college students. These stu dents have come with high energy and an eagerness to be involved in the Allen community.

Being involved in the community is one of the reasons my family and I were ex cited about moving here. As I said before, community is in the college’s name for a reason. It is integral to our growth if we have the support of the city with us. I am deeply honored to be so welcomed by everyone here, this is a special place to be.

I look forward to leading Allen into new paths and building it for bigger and bet ter things to come.

Dr. Bruce Moses, Ph.D. Allen Community College President

235 students graduated 372

Scholars on the Dean’s Honor Roll

(3.5 - 3.99 GPA representing all Allen Students for both Fall & Spring Semesters)

Awarded in Endowed Scholarships

408

Scholars on the President’s Honor Roll

(4.0 GPA representing all Allen Students for both Fall & Spring Semesters)

300

Scholars on the Honorable Mention Honor Roll

(3.0 -3.45 GPA representing all Allen Students for both Fall & Spring Semesters)

Want to get involved too? Here’s how:

• Start an Endowed Scholarship • Donate to academic programs or athletic programs

• Encourage students to attend Allen and apply for scholarships

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: Becky Carlson

Allen Community College graduate of 1978, Becky Carlson was selected as Allen’s Distinguished Alumnus of 2022. Carlson is a native of Iola and after Allen has been quite successful, which made her an excellent selection for this award.

During her speech Carlson noted from her personal experiences at Allen, reflect ing that “What I remember, sitting in this chair, is how much I love Allen County”. After Allen, Carlson began coaching, and after all of her success, we would agree she made the right choice.

Carlson’s distinguished coaching career included three basketball state champi onships, a volleyball state championship and 500 victories, with coaching stops at Hillsboro, Iola and now Marmaton Valley. Her track record is certainly impressive, but even more so is the impact she has made on all of her players.

During her short but sweet commence ment speech, Carlson gave a few key peices of advice for the young graduates. But in conclusion she reminded them that “It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, but I hope whatever you choose, you’ll go all in. I hope you give it everything you’ve got, every single day.”

Our congratulations to Becky, you make Allen, proud!

Seeking Nominations

Do you know an outstanding Allen Alum who deserves special recognition for thier achievements?

Send in your nominations by February 6th, 2023 to the Allen Endowment Association be considered for recognition at the 2023 Commencement.

For more information contact 620-901-6218 or email endowment@allencc.edu

For more information contact Lauren Maisberger at maisberger@allencc.edu

My SSP - Mental Health App

With the new school year starting, Allen rolled out a new mental health app called My SSP (Student Support Pro gram) which is available to all non high school students on our Iola and Burlingame campuses as well as online students. This app allows an individual to recieve coun seling sessions, crisis sessions, regular tele-med services with state licensed practioners. My SSP also has several creative guides and resources that are available in the app. Including workouts, referrals to area specialists and other tips and tricks.

The only service that this app does not provide students is medication. Should a student need this, their practitioner can prescribe them some. Another advan tage of My SSP is that it has several languages available 24/7, which enables our international or bilingual students to feel comfortable and safe using it. Howev er, the best part is there is no cost to our students to use this app.

Entrepreneurship Series

Allen hosted the first ever entrepreneurship series this fall. This new initiative was focused on students giving an elevator pitch. There was a good turn out of students that particpated in this event. The 3 winners, Jenni Armstrong and Paulia Ard are from Moran and Brett Hawkesworth from Burlington. Feedback from students about how this event went was overwhelmingly posi tive. The next part of this series is where students write an executive summary for a business idea, which is due at the end of January.

“

It was challenging to see what details and steps were needed to get that perfect pitch down. But it was very rewarding in the end!

- Jenny Armstrong

”

Trail Opening

On May 6th, 2022 Allen Community College and Thrive Allen County unveiled a new one-mile walking trail. This walking trail was completed due to a grant awarded by The Health Forward Foundation. It took several hours to finish this project, from writing the grant, de signing the trail path and ultimately building it. This trail will help provide a healthy initiative for students, faculty and the community to use during the year.

Food Pantry Grant

Allen Community College Endowment was successfully awarded a Health Forward Foundation grant in August. The grant was for $15,000 and would directly be applied to the Food Pantry on campus. The Food Pantry is an inter nal service that Allen provides to all students enrolled. Focused on providing necessary hygiene and nutritional products to students when they request them.

Hundreds of students already use this service to help them survive college and assiting them enables them to continue their educaiton without the financial burden of basic living needs. With this grant, our college can now provide healthier options of food, help those with dietary restrictions and provide sup plemental hygiene products.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: From Small Fish to Shark Tank

Former Allen Alum ‘15, Chase Terrell has turned his friendly hobby of drink ing a cold one and fishing into a career. He launched a new company, Chill N Reel with his dad, Jake Rutledge, his uncle, Chris Diede and lifelong best friend and are based out of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Chill N Reel is a drink insulator that doubles as a fishing pole. This way you don’t have to set your drink down to fish.

We talked with Chase on where the idea originally came from and he mentioned it was his Dad, Jake, who thought of it while on a family trip in Destin, Florida. Jake wanted to have the best of both worlds, en joying a drink while fishing at the same time but in a crowded ocean it was hard to do. He caught a fish with a bottle hook on the end of his can and realized that even though he was close to pulling it off, he couldn’t complete it without spilling some of his drink. That spurred the idea of Chill N Reel. Which gave Jake a insulator for his drink to keep it cold and a better stabilizer for the reel itself.

After the idea became an actual product, building with a manufacturer posed some difficulty. However, Terrell and his team didn’t waiver, finally finding a suppli er with Royal Vista Plastics in Tulsa who could create their plastic mold. The injec tion molded plastic used in the Chill N Reel products is a hard shell with no moving pieces which gives it such a solid ability to catch fish and hold the drink.

Terrell’s dream is so close to taking off. While popular now and experiencing success, Terrell and the team are looking for some major investors. On May 13th, Chill N Reel will air on Shark Tank to be taken to the next level of expansion.

Coming off of Shark Tank, unfortnately Terrell and Chill N Reel, were unable to strike a deal with a Shark. They were close to finalizing a deal with Shark Rob ert Herjavec after all of the other Sharks withdrew their interest in investing. Mr. Herjavec offered a deal of $300,000 investment for 10% equity and a perpetual $2 royalty on each unit sold. This was close to Chill N Reel’s inital investment offer, only difference was the added royalty clause. Chill N Reel counter offered with a 15% eq uity stake with no royalty. Ultimately Mr. Herjacvec bowed out of investing due to no agreeance on a higher equity if given no royalty on the units. While Terrell and Chill N Reel didn’t get a Shark on the hook, they have seen an increase in business after the airing.

Look for more updates on Terrell and Chill-N-Reel by following their Face book, Twitter or Instagram pages below. We love to see our Allen Alum succeed after their time with us. If you are or know someone that you think would be an amazing Alumni Spotlight story, contact us today! Email endowment@allencc.edu or call us at 620-901-6218.

@chillnreel

@chillnreel

@chillnreel

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

In the past year, we have experienced the generosity of several individuals and families that established endowed scholarships through the Endowment. Check out the details below.

Gary Hawk Scholarship for the Visual Arts

Gary Hawk was a renowned watercolor artist all over the US and around the world. Gary grew up in Carlyle and attended Iola High School, graduating in 1950. After high school Gary joined the US Navy and served during the Kore an War. After his time in the Navy he attended Kansas State University and the Kansas City Art Institute. After graduating, he pursued a career in art but within the corporate sector. After several years in the corporate workforce Gary found his way back to his true passion, painting. He continued to create materpieces we all know and love. Gary’s brother Bob Hawk established the endowed scholarship to honor Gary and inspire other Allen students to follow their love of the arts.

M. Lee Brown Family Scholarship

Lee Brown grew up in Iola and graduated from Iola High School in 1960. After high school, Lee joined the United States Marine Corps. He served from 1960-1965 as a combat air photographer. Upon completing his service he en rolled at Allen County Community Junior College and later went on to recieve his Bachelors in Business Administration from Pittsburg State University in 1968. His career involved being the Head Start Director of SE Kansas and working in real estate until he retired in 1995. Lee’s family is a large part of his life. Lee has several family members who attended Allen, this scholarship was established to honor all family members that have passed through Allen over the years.

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Scholarship

For a number of years, the members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church have supported Allen Athletics in providing food to the athletic teams during school breaks. In doing so, many valuable and meaningful connections were made that prompted this everlasting gift.Thank you to all who helped make this happen.

Eugene & Naomi Clounch Scholarship

Eugene & Naomi Clounch were longtime members of the Iola community. Eugene, a native Iolan himself attended Allen Community College when it was on the third floor of the High School. Both daughters, Gena ‘85 and Teresa ‘88 were actively involved during their time at Allen. From the ten nis team, theatre, dance and student senate they both had a lot to juggle. Eugene and Naomi always encouraged their children to continue their education however they saw it fit. To strive to reach the next level of ed ucation and in life. By creating this scholarship, that legacy to strive for a higher education can continue.

VOLLEYBALL

The Lady Red Devils improved upon last season finishing with an overall record of 16-12 and 3-6 in conference play. Having several returning players for this season, helped bring some leadership to the court. Sophomore libero, Andrea Maldonado was second in the conference tallying an average 5.77 digs per set and a total of 485 on the season. Also, sophomore Gabriela Dominguez had an average of 3.10 kills per set putting her in the top 15% of conference for this season.

Although their season fell short, the Lady Red Devils always brought intensity and energy to their games. We look forward to cheering them on next season!

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Ending the season with a Jayhawk Conference Championship, you couldn’t ask for more. The team fin ished with an overall record of 12-5 and 5-1 in conference play.

As in years past our men’s team has been strong. This year is no differ ent. At the Firestarter Classic hosted in Iola, Allen’s Devan Crow fin ished 5th overall and the top Allen performer. Landing him Week 6’s Athlete of the Week for the Jayhawk Conference. However, Allen did have 4 runners finish in the top 20 at that race.

MEN’S SOCCER

The team will compete at the NJ CAA D2 Cross Country Champi onships in Tallahassee, Florida on November 12th to go for a national title!

Like their counterpart, the men’s team also finished with a Jayhawk Conference Championship, talk about storybook endings. The team finished with an overall record of 12-4-1 and 7-2 in conference play.

A Look Ahead....

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Leslie Crane is looking forward to a new season with lots of new faces. Coach Crane brought in 11 new players this season and will look for them to make an impact, while returning 4 veteran players to complete her squad.

Opening preseason against Cowley County and Friends University, the women’s team looked to be on the right track. For Coach Crane, entering her second season as lead of the Lady Red Devils, she is excited to rebuild this program to new heights.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

After clinching the conference title last season, Coach Andy Shaw who is enter ing his 11th year as the Head Coach of the men’s team is excited to get to work. Shaw is returning 11 of his players from last year’s team, with adding 4 new members. The team has another member returning but while he hasn’t suited up for the Red Devils in a couple years, he will be a key addition to the team. Assistant coach De’Quaan Haggerty is ready to enter his first season on the coaching side with the Devils.

Having several sophomore’s who were averaging over 10 minutes per game last season, this group is no stranger to what the conference holds and how compet itive it is. The experienced team will look to build off of the historical run last year and look to go further this year. We look forward to cheering them on and witness another amazing season!

GIVE THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

Year after year we find ourselves struggling to find the perfect presents for our loved ones. This season you can avoid the last-minute gift panic by giving the gift of education.

Not only is the gift of education meaningful, quick, and simple, but an education never gets old, outgrown or goes out of style. This gift option is thoughtful and can be life-changing for a student at Allen Community College.

Make a gift of any size online by visiting https://www.allencc.edu/alumni-endowment, mail your check to Allen Community College Endowment, 1801 N Cottonwood St, Iola, KS 66749 or visit us for more information.

Interested in a more significant gift option or naming rights at Allen? There are several opportu nities available. Don’t hesistate to contact the Endowment at 620-901-6218 or endowment@allencc.edu with any questions. We look forward to assisting you wiht your gifts this holiday season. What a lovely way to celebrate the spirit of Christmas and to spread joy!

Meet Morgan Baska, a current sophomore at Allen Community College.

Morgan is a part of many aspects on campus and in her community. Originally from Wellsville, Kansas, Morgan decided she wanted to pursue her athletic career. After several visits to other colleges, she landed on her home, Allen. We asked Morgan if making this decision was hard, she said “not really, once I visited Allen I knew I was coming here. The facillities and atmosphere really set it apart from everywhere else I visited.”

Sure seems like Morgan has made the right choice, she is an impactful player on Allen’s softball team, Student Senate President and a volunteer firefighter for Allen County Rural. With her hands full of extracurricular activities Morgan still manages to stay on top of her academics.

Morgan is majoring in criminal justice and plans on pursuing a career in the police force after school. While her plans aren’t confirmed where she will go after Allen, she wants to continue playing softball and earn her Bachelors in Criminal Justice then enrolling in the police academy.

When talking to Morgan how her experiences at Allen are, she had plenty to say. What she enjoys the most about Allen is “ the structure and dynamic of her coach es, instructors and others.” Mentioning that they “always help with any schedule conflicts, allowed her to feel safe to open up to them about anything she is going through or needs”.

We wish Morgan all the best after she finishes her sophomore year up this spring but make sure you come out to a game before she leaves! She gave us her final takeaway so far from her time at Allen, which is “ I have learned that you are your own greatest barrier to success”.

Thank you Morgan for representing Allen so well, hats off to you!

SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON

For the first time in almost 3 years, the Endowment Association hosted the 23rd Annual Scholarship Luncheon on October 12th, 2022. This unique event brings together donors and the students who benefit from their generosity in the form of a scholarship. It is so special to see the connections unfold.

We graciously hosted over 250 attendees at the event. The keynote speaker was Allen Alumus of 1989, Dr. Phil Cook. Dr. Cook is currently the Superintendent of Carl Junction School District in Carl Junction, Missouri. Dr. Cook was a member of the Red Devils baseball team during his time at Allen. After Allen, he went on to Pittsburg State to continue his athletic and academic career. Serving as team captain on the baseball team, Dr. Cook graduated with his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education in 1992. Later he went on to earn his Masters and Doctorate in Education.

Dr. Cook spoke about his cherished time at Allen and how now he reflected upon just how big of an impact the college, teachers, coaches and community made on him. Also, to not take the time at Allen for granted and continue to give back when you can. We were thrilled to have Dr. Cook back on campus af ter a long overdue visit. This trip down memory lane for Dr. Cook was emotion al but as he put it “this part of my life made me who I am today”.

The Endowment celebrated new scholarships that were awarded this year. The Orville & Nina Hawk Scholarship and the Gary Hawk Scholarship for the Visual Arts.

Donors Bob & Ginny Hawk, Beverly Hawk and her daughters, Deborah Smail, Susan Hawk and Lori Obermueller are pictured in the next page. We thank them for continuing the legacy of their loved ones. But also for investing in a gift that will impact students for years to come.

Pictured left to right are Lauren Maisberger the Director of Development and keynote speaker, Dr. Phil Cook.

Pictured left to right are Lauren Maisberger, Susan Hawk, Beverly Hawk, Deb orah Smail & Lori Ober mueller.

For students, at first a lunch with someone they don’t know sounds terrify ing. But after meeting their donors whose scholarship they recieved, their perception changed. We spoke to a several students after the luncheon about their experience at the event and they all had positive comments to say. To sum it up best, we heard from Lacey Stamper, sophomore on the Allen Soft ball team. She said “ I loved the speaker. His story was really inspirational and made me want to achieve more now and after Allen!”

Pictured left to right are donors Bob Hawk & Ginny Hawk. Also, Lauren Maisberger the Director of Development.

THANK YOU BOOSTERS

We wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the individuals and businesses that were part of our Athletic and Fine Arts Booster Clubs. If you or someone you know is interested on becoming a booster club supporter, contact the Endowment office today!

ATHLETIC

All Star - $1,000

John & Georgia Masterson

Champion - $750

Larry Manes & Nelda Cuppy

BVD Inc

Sonic Drive-In of Iola

Captain - $500

Pete’s Community National Bank

Peerless Products

Allen Regional Hospital Vince Degrado

Ash Grove Cement

McGinnis & Demarteau Families

Partner -$250

Earl Walter

A&W Family Resturant Humboldt Fitness

Iola Pharmacy

Craig & Georgia Abbott

Sponsor -$100

Nickey Barr

Piqua State Bank

The Family Physicians

Lonnie & Stephanie Larson

Terry Sparks

Ken & Kit McGuffin

FINE ARTS

Patron - $750 Cynthia Jacobson

Lover - $500 John & Georgia Masterson

Enthusaist - $250

Larry Manes & Nelda Cuppy

Linda Johnson Supporter - $100 Lonnie & Stephanie Larson Alan Weber Ken & Kit McGuffin Stanley & Donna Grigsby Donna Houser Brian & Shellie Regehr Walter & Karin Wulf Personal Service Insurance Jim Bauer Family Sharon Whitworth Carol Chrisenberry

Larry Ross & Family

Spencer & Helen Ambler

Larry Ross & Family PrairieLand Partners Iola Elks Lodge BPOE #569

Personal Service Insurance Aaron & Josie Kalhoff

The Gift of Giving

As we near the end of the year, we are reminded of all the people, places and experiences we love. When you reflect upon those memories, don’t forget about us at Allen!

Gifts of stocks and other securities (bonds, mutual funds, etc.) can allow you to support Allen without depleting your liquid cash reserves. This is such a great way to share your love while giving you a tax break. Your broker can assist you in making a gift of stock via direct transaction to Allen Community College Endowment. To donate securities, contact the Endowment Office today to get started. Your impact today will live on forever!

History in the making as Allen

will celebrate 100 years of education. Taking a look back on how far the college has come brings more nostalgia of our humble begin nings and inspiration for a radiant future.

From transitioning from the third floor of Iola High School to establishing and building a stand alone campus. Celebrating the in creasing enrollment, high and lows of sports teams and the opening of the Burlingame campus. Each of the events in our tenured history has shaped Allen to the college it is today.

So many fond memories, experiences and advancements have happened and we contin ue to celebrate our past and look onward into our next centennial. We encourage friends, family and especially alumni to come out to our cenntennial celebration events. To join us in remebering and celebrating Allen and all of its glory.

1923 1923

Snapshot of an article from the Iola Register of when the land for campus was designated

Second part of the article, viewing Allen’s campus after construction

Iola Junior College, 1923

FALL PLAY BY ALLEN THEATRE FEB ALLEN HOMECOMING MAR ENDOWMENT ANNUAL GALA JUL CENTENNIAL KICKOFF PARTY

New Allen sign outside of the newly constructed student center, dining area and outdoor pergola